Continuous glass fibers are formed by extruding molten glass through a bushing and attenuating the extruded molten glass. Formation of the fibers also normally involves treating the fibers with a size to enhance the properties of the fibers in subsequent operations. The resultant fibers, after solidifying, may then be directed to another area for fabrication into desired products, or collected as a package for storage prior to further processing.
Strands are formed from a plurality of glass fibers arranged adjacent to one another. Rovings are formed from a plurality of strands. Strands and rovings are often used to further form yarns and tows. Other products, such as tapes, ribbons, scrims, webs, and veils, are also formed from glass fibers. When fiberglass packages are formed, the glass fibers, or products formed therefrom, are wound onto a tube utilizing various methods and apparatus.
Continuous materials, such as fibers or fiber products, are often cut into discrete lengths in a process involving a chopping operation. In a chopping operation, the continuous materials are conveyed along a pathway into engagement with a chopper. A chopper includes a cutting roll that rotates about an axis that is perpendicular or transverse to the path of the continuous materials. The cutting roll is comprised of a steel roll with a plurality of spaced cutting blades projecting radially outwardly from, and generally parallel to, the axis of the steel roll. The cutting blades can be oriented so that the blades cut the continuous materials longitudinally and transversely relative to the pathway of the continuous materials being cut. The cutting roll cooperates with a backup roll or cot roll to cut or chop the continuous materials as they pass through the nip between the cutting roll and the cot roll to produce segments of chopped materials having discrete lengths. The chopped materials are discharged downstream of the cutting blades.
The continuous materials are guided into the cutting blades by an apparatus, which includes a guide roll or belt. The guide roll or belt cooperates with a support plate, roll, or belt to guide and control the continuous materials through the nip between the cutting and cot rolls. This cooperative arrangement is deficient because the guide roll or belt tends to slip relative to the support plate, roll, or belt. This slippage produces friction that causes the continuous materials to slip. This causes the size in the continuous materials to break down. When the size breaks down, it causes the continuous materials to stick to the guide roll or belt. Consequently, the continuous materials wrap around the guide roll or belt.
What is needed is an apparatus for guiding continuous materials, which has a reduced tendency to cause size in the continuous materials to break down and thus become sticky.